Sniffles
by laureas
Summary: What does a Dark Lord know about comforting a child with a cold? You might be surprised. One-shot


Summery:

What does a Dark Lord know about comforting a child with a cold? You might be surprised. One-shot

Author's Note: This is a return favor for StarWarrior72, my Beta. Feel better soon!

_Force Speech_

*thoughts*

Disclaimer - I neither own copyright or receive money for anything. I write to improve my ability and for enjoyment.

Sniffles

Darth Vader sat in his private office on Coruscant running over the files on Rebellion activity when a soft and very pathetic voice came from behind him. "Nuncle, I don't feel too good."

Vader spun his chair around to see a very pale-looking girl child standing in the doorway, holding on to the side of the frame for support. Her cheeks had a pink to them that was not the flush of health and her breathing was labored.

Vader sprang to his feet, calling on the Force to pick the child up and bring her to him. "Leia, how long have you been feeling like this?," he asked in his deep echoing voice. He was careful to keep his voice neutral while cursing himself inwardly for becoming so inatentive. Even he had a hard time finding her in the Force if he didn't keep part of his mind on hers.

This was deliberate for if the Emperor ever found out that Vader knew that the Emperor had lied about his wife's death, then Vader's life would be forefit and this precious child would be taken from Bail Organa and trained to take his place. Leia shivered as she answered her 'nuncle' "I didn't feel well earlier so I went to take a nap. When I woke up, the walls were spinning." Her voice, usually so commanding and downright bossy, was a feeble echo of it's normal tone.

Vader strode from his office through a secret entrance which let to his private estate while he was on Coruscant. *Thank the Maker that my 'master' is not on Imperial Center at this moment. I will need to bring her sheilding down so that the Force may help her recovery.* he thought as he pulled his cloak up over one shoulder, effectively covering the Alderaan princess and keeping her warm as well.

3 months after Mustafar, he was just taking his place in the galaxy as the Emperor's feared harbinger of death. He had gone to Alderaan under the Emperor's command to judged the loyalty of the royal house. What he hadn't expected was the 'warm welcome' of Sentor Bail Organa. The man had practically wept in relief at his arrival. Nor were answers long in coming. Not many knew that Bail and Breha Organa were more then causal friends of Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker. But it was more then that. Bail had known of their marrige and while he could not do much to aid Anakin, he did offer a willing ear should the young man need it. Yet with Palpatine becoming suspicious of Organa, they had become more distant toward each other. Bail heartily disapproved of the deception that was being forced on the 'Hero with no Fear' and was concerned that should the unthinkable happen that Anakin would loose all will to live, or worse.

And events had proven Bail correct. But Bail suspected that under the black durasteel, the spirit of Anakin Skywalker still existed. And anyway he had no choice as he saw it. He was not going to betray his friends, not when so many others had done exactly that as he saw it. Thus it was that Vader learned that Padme, though passing away in childbirth as he had dreamed, had given him one last gift. However, Leia had soon sickened on ariving on Alderaan and Bail prayed despreatly that the Force would intervene.

And so it had. Vader was able to sooth the tiny baby girl his angel had left him and dampen her Force ability, though not without cost. Ever since then, Leia usually was the picture of health, yet every once in a while she came down with a cold. With her ability in the Force severely curtailed to keep her safe, these colds usually made her quite sick.

Artoo-Detoo met him as he entered his personal quarters, beeping a query.

"Artoo, have Betoo-MeFour come here at once. Leia is ill." An anxious trill followed him as he entered the chamber that held his hyberbaric pod. Before he could answer the little astrodroid's questions a voice spoke in his mind, weak but defiante. _I don't like that droid! He's always poking me! And he's got the personality of a nerf-herder!_

It was all he could do to hold back the chuckle at Leia's indigitant mental tone. At least on the outside. But he did broadcast it through the Force. _I'm quite aware of it, my little princess. But I wasn't exactly aiming for the greatest 'bedside manner' when I built him. _ Their mental converstion was interrupted by the medi-droid's arrival.

"You summoned me, Lord Vader?," it questioned.

"The princess is ill. You will tell me what I need to do to sustain her through her recovery," Vader snapped at the droid, his legendary temper coming to the fore. The unsaid threat was not unnoticed by the droid, but it was use to the Dark Lord's ill humor in regards to this particular patient's health. Vader sat down, removing his cloak from Leia's petite frame, but keeping her in his lap as the droid scanned her. Leia's labored breathing was becoming more obvious by the second.

"You need to take her with you into your pod, My Lord," the droid said finally. "She has some congestion in her lungs from the illness. A night in an oxygen rich atmosphere should relieve the worst of the synthoms, along with the medication I will give her with this injection." Even as it finished speaking it had already plunged the needle into Leia's upper arm, making her yelp. Leia gave the droid a dirty look as it left the chamber.

_I wish I could just recycle that thing! If it wasn't that you need that droid Nuncle, I'd make sure it __was__ scrap! _Leia told him with acid in her mental voice. Vader stood up as he replied, "Unfortuanley that would not be a good plan for either of us Leia, though I appreciate the thought. Let's get you inside." Once the pod had closed and the chamber had filled with the pure oxygen Vader needed to remove the helmet and mask, Leia's breathing became noticabley better. However she made no move to leave the comforting embrace of her dark protector.

And Vader welcomed it. His child always felt better while he was holding her, especially while she was sick. The constant pain he was in was soothed as well. Moving towards the throne-like seat that he used to sleep, Vader thought he heard a sniff. As he sat down to relax, the sound echoed around the pod. Vader looked down to see Leia rubbing her forearm acrossed her nose to stiffle her runny nose.

Shifting the girl into the crook of his right arm, he raised his left hand slightly and several items came floating over to the two of them. Including some tissue. "Young lady, it is hardly appropritate for you to wipe your nose with your sleave," he boomed down at her. She hung her head as she grabbed the tissue and blew her nose with a miserible expression. But a gloved hand tilted her head up as she finished. "Look at me, little one. I'm not displeased with you, far from it. But your father would be .. irrate with me if I neglected your courtly training, even if you are sick."

"I didn't wanna be a princess! I hate being told what to do!" Leia complained. Vader heaved a sigh as he took the blanket and covered his chest with it carefully. His suit did not have any 'soft' areas where someone could curl up next to him. Pulling the little girl close to him, Vader simply replied, "You would be a princess to me no matter what, Leia." The little girl curled up next to the Sith with all the innocent trust in the world and put her arms around him carefully. "Go to sleep Leia. I will be here to keep you safe," Vader said. Then he lowered his voice to as close to a whisper as he could manage with the vocoder. "I love you, my daughter."

A sleepy voice mumbled an answer, one that brought a broad smile to the ravaged face under the mask. "I love you too, Papa."


End file.
